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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29134935">Poisoned</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onehelluvapilot/pseuds/Onehelluvapilot'>Onehelluvapilot</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Febuwhump [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Merlin (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Attempted Murder, Bullying, Gen, Hurt Lancelot (Merlin), Hurt/Comfort, Poisoning, Protective Merlin (Merlin), Whump, Yes I'm aware this is almost identical to my fic Poisoned Wine, same plot can give many enjoyment, what of it</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 07:07:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,394</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29134935</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onehelluvapilot/pseuds/Onehelluvapilot</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Lancelot arrives at Gaius's chambers, but it quickly becomes clear that he's not there to pick Merlin up for their night on the town.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Lancelot &amp; Merlin (Merlin)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Febuwhump [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2134998</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>37</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Poisoned</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>betaed by LiGi</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“I’ll get it!” Merlin announced when there was a knocking on the door, since Gaius was busy crafting a tonic for a client. He was expecting Lancelot anyway; the two of them were planning a little night on the town in honor of it being the one month anniversary of his knighting ceremony. It looked like they wouldn’t be going out tonight, though; Lancelot had one arm wrapped around his stomach, and his face was pinched in an expression of distinct discomfort. Drinks would probably not be a good idea if he already had a stomach ache.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Merlin,” he breathed. “Is Gaius in?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. Come on in,” Merlin said, opening the door wider and ushering him inside.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you need?” the physician asked, looking up at his new patient, who had stumbled forward to steady himself with one hand on the edge of the table. The other arm, which was beginning to tremble, clutched his stomach more firmly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you have anything to settle an aching stomach?” Lancelot asked. His voice was shaking a little.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It depends. What do you think caused it? Have you eaten anything recently that might be causing the upset?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I had some bread, cheese, and stew for dinner,” he replied as Merlin gently took him by the shoulders and guided him to sit down on the bench beside him. “That was what was served in the dining hall tonight though, so if it was bad, there might be a good many more men asking you for something for it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We haven’t had anyone else in yet,” Merlin noted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll make some extra tonic, just in case,” Gaius said. “This will take a few minutes to prepare. Try to relax in the meantime.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll do my best,” Lance agreed, but the possibility of him actually relaxing seemed remote. In fact, the obvious pain seemed to worsen as he waited, until he was bent double from it. Merlin grabbed a bucket to set between his feet in case his stomach decided to expel whatever it was that was bothering it, before moving up to sit beside his friend on the bench. He pushed up on his shoulders, trying to get him to uncurl a little. Lancelot groaned before beginning to cough. Suddenly, he spluttered, and blood sprayed from his lips onto Merlin’s shirt. Both of their eyes widened in surprise and worry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm so sorry, your shirt-” he said, flustered and stammering. “I-I know you need it, I'm sorry I didn't mean-"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Forget about my shirt, Lancelot, you've got internal bleeding!" Coughing up blood was a very bad sign and Merlin was beginning to think that the meal wasn't the problem. "GAIUS!" he shouted, and the physician quickly hurried over.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It’s not something you ate,” Gaius quickly diagnosed. “Or rather, not the food. I think you were poisoned,” he announced.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Poisoned?!” Merlin exclaimed while Lancelot just groaned and doubled over to clutch at his stomach.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. Likely during dinner. Something caustic, probably, likely added to his drink.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Should we make him throw up?” Merlin asked. After he himself had been poisoned not long ago, Gaius had been trying to teach him how to treat poisoning incidents, in case he or Arthur was poisoned again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No. The poison would irritate his throat more coming up, and might cause more internal bleeding. It would be better to make him drink a lot of water, to dilute the poison. And Merlin, this would be a good time for a healing spell.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The warlock ran up to his room to grab the spellbook while Gaius poured Lancelot a cup of water from a pitcher. Blood dripped from the knight’s lips into the water before he managed to raise it to his lips to drink. His hands were shaking badly, so the physician had to help steady him. He struggled to swallow, his face twisting in pain as he fought to get the water down. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pass me the honey,” Gaius instructed Merlin as the warlock returned to the room and ran to the potions desk to begin crafting a potion. He grabbed the jar of liquid and brought it over to his uncle before returning to his own task. The physician scooped a generous spoonful of the sugary liquid into the cup of water and stirred it before helping Lancelot drink more. Hopefully the honey would soothe his throat some. With luck, the properties of the liquid that helped heal and prevent infections when used on exterior wounds would have the same effect on his internal bleeding. As he helped Lance drink, he kept as close an eye on Merlin as he could as his nephew mixed a concoction. He recognized the herbs he added as the same ones used in the poultice to heal Tom, Gwen’s father, when he had been poisoned by Nimueh.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>“Þu fornimest adl fram guman,”</b>
  <span> Merlin said over the mixture when he’d finished, his eyes flashing gold. The mixture began to steam, a golden glow rising from it. He brought it over quickly to Lancelot, moving as fast as he could without spilling any of it, and took Gaius’ place kneeling in front of the knight. “Here, try to breathe this in,” he instructed, holding it up under his friend’s nose. The poisoned man coughed as the vapors reached him, but eventually he managed a few deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth. His exhales looked like he was breathing fire as the glowing steam wafted from his mouth. Gradually, the seizing muscles in his chest seemed to relax and his breathing ease as the potion soothed him. He sagged and Merlin had to grab his shoulders to keep him from falling off the bench, setting the still steaming cup down on the table beside him so he could continue to breathe in the vapors.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You should drink more as well,” Gaius suggested, offering the honey water. Lancelot’s hands were more steady now, but Merlin still kept a hand around the cup to make sure he didn’t spill it. He seemed to be swallowing a little more easily now, and he looked to be in more discomfort than pain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Th’nks,” he mumbled. “An’ sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s nothing to apologize for,” Merlin reassured him, rubbing his back gently.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your shirt-”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Will come clean in the wash. It’s okay. I’m much more worried about you. Do you have any idea who might have poisoned you?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The person who served your food, maybe?” Gaius suggested. Lancelot shook his head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Lance is friends with most of the servants; they wouldn’t have any motive,” Merlin protested.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did anyone come over to you while you were eating? They could have poisoned you then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Jus’ Sir Bors. He...” the knight trailed off, brows pinching in consternation. “He pretended to steal my goblet before giving it back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It has to be him,” Merlin decided. “He’s hated you since the moment he learned you were a commoner.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But to poison another knight? That’s a little extreme,” Gaius questioned.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He probably hoped Lance would die and that he would get away with it,” the warlock practically growled. “I won’t let him. I’ll tell Arthur, and if that doesn’t work, I’ll get him kicked out of the knighthood myself.” Lancelot could only manage to nod, his head dropping forward again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s a problem that can wait for another day,” Gaius said. “Why don’t you take Lancelot up to your room? He can sit up against the wall in your bed, and rest some while he keeps drinking water.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Merlin nodded, and helped Lancelot to stand, slinging his arm over his shoulders and practically carrying him up the short set of stairs until he could deposit him in his bed. Gaius was fairly sure the knight would be okay, mostly due to Merlin’s quick intervention with his magic, but they would be keeping a close eye on him until the physician was sure he had completely recovered. He’d been terrified that they would lose him when he’d started coughing up blood, and worried that Gwen would be back to being Merlin’s only friend if Lancelot died. The old physician looked up into his nephew’s room to see him gently wiping blood off his friend’s lips with a damp cloth, and wondered, a little sadly, how long of a break they were going to have until the next poisoning attempt. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Comments make my day!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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